Pune: Pimpri Chinchwad hosts UK-India workshop on Advancing Low Emission Zones

Pimpri, 2nd June 2025: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), in collaboration with the British Deputy High Commission, Mumbai and Transport for London inaugurated a week-long technical workshop on 2-6 June to support the planning and implementation of Low Emission Zones (LEZ) in Pimpri Chinchwad. Organised under the UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions) programme, the workshop being conducted at the PCMC headquarters from 2 to 6 June 2025.

This initiative marks a significant milestone in the growing partnership between the UK and Indian subnational governments, aimed at promoting sustainable and climate-resilient urban development. With expert guidance from Transport for London (TfL), the sessions were designed to strengthen PCMC’s roadmap for establishing Low Emission Mobility Zones (LEMZ) that reduce vehicular emissions and improve air quality.

The workshop brings together senior officials from PCMC, the British Deputy High Commission, TfL experts, and leading mobility specialists. Drawing from London’s successful Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) model, the sessions cover a range of technical areas including air quality monitoring, enforcement mechanisms, public communication strategies, stakeholder engagement, and the use of technology for zone implementation.

The collaboration with TfL provides PCMC with an opportunity to adopt international best practices in building civic awareness, developing robust data systems, and enhancing institutional readiness for enforcing LEZs. The LEMZ strategy developed with support from ITDP India focuses on prioritised zones where only BS-6 and electric vehicles will be permitted by 2026.

This UK-India initiative is part of the UK PACT Country Fund and aligns closely with PCMC’s broader clean air agenda, including its recently launched Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Over the course of the workshop, participants will also explore how LEZs integrate with wider urban mobility goals—such as promoting non-motorised transport, accelerating electric vehicle adoption, and strengthening first- and last-mile connectivity to public transport systems.

With growing concern around degrading air quality, PCMC is at the forefront of building an ecosystem for improving efforts for air quality and sustainable mobility solutions for citizens, business and government. TfL support would be critical in learning from their knowledge, identifying ways of stakeholder engagement and creating compelling narrative to ensure active participation in implementing Low emission zones in Pimpri-Chinchwad.
–Shekhar Singh, Commissioner, PCMC

Tackling air pollution and creating cleaner, healthier cities is a shared priority for both the UK and India. Through UK PACT and this important collaboration with Pimpri Chinchwad and Transport for London, we are proud to support the city’s ambition to deliver cleaner transport and sustainable urban growth. This is a great example of how partnerships at the local level can drive global climate action. – Jamie Scattergood, Deputy Head of Mission, British Deputy High Commission Mumbai